Monday, July 12, 2010

the 8 days on the beautiful Gulf Coast that i feared might not come to fruitionhave come & gonewe're home safe & soundthe beach .....it was perfect

the laundry is donesand is brushed off the flip flopsboogie boards are back up in the atticsun tanned skinhair that's a little more blond than a week agothousands of photos takena 700 & something page book remains unread& probably a few pounds gained thanks to all the fantastic food

that first photo, caroline cartwheeling. well she did that....all day. hundreds of cartwheels. such a happy child.

i realized on the way home( while worrying because my coolant light came on while we were in the middle of no mans land...seriously)that i need to throw some cartwheels

unfortunately i come with expectations

it's awful...i wish i was a cartwheeling kinda girlmaybe if i lived there, i'd cartwheel freelybut my heart needs those 8 days to be perfecta time to nourish my soul smack dab in the midst of the other 356 days of the year

i expect white sand & the most crystal clear wateri expect sunny daysi expect memories made with my favorite 5 people in the worldi expect secrets shared and hands heldi expect to be on the beach each night & soak in the breathtaking sunset

i expect no oil spills& no sad stories about dolphins covered in oili expect my camera to work& the shrimp to taste incredible

i expect my car to run efficiently & have no issuesi expect to shop at my favorite little shops& for my frozen nonfat vanilla latte to be smooth & perfect

its not too much is it?8 days of perfection....surely not

but my type A, professional worrier self gets the best of me

i was all knotted up the week before we leftworryingi had a mini nervous breakdown when i lost the first day of my photos& while my lap top and camera weren't workingseriously...i lost it

i sat in the bathroom & sobbedit's a sickness , i realize thisbut if it isn't documented and i don't mean on a mobile uploadi'm talking high res jpeg, backed up on my external drive AND my flashphotos& hundreds of them

moments captured so my heart can remember the gigglesremember what my girls profiles look like as they gaze over the oceanremember how my handsome man never complains no matter how many photos i takeremember the girl's cute little beach figures, whether 2 years old or 17 years old

but while we were on vacationi saw more people than i've ever seen beforedoing the exact same thingwith their nikons and their canons

& i realized i'm not alone& i think it's okit's ok to have a place where i want time to stand stilli just need to work on that ugly pesky worry part of my personality& maybenext yearthrowacartwheel

Hi Paige, I was wondering how you had got on. I have such a soft spot for Florida so after everything I was so pleased you got to go. It's amazing isn't it just how much we all having riding on annual holidays? Eight days is just not enough. And as for loosing it about lost photos - completely understand my sweet. You are SOOOO not alone with that!

Hi - me again! I wondered - where were you in Florida? Also - never feel bad about how many pictures you took - the fact that you capture your girls in these moments is priceless. I think of how many things I did growing up that weren't captured or even were but now are just old battered photos. The whole digital image thing is a gift - to be able to keep so much of a memory. OK I am done now :-) L x

So glad you enjoyed those wonderful 8 days! I am also working on fitting in a few cartwheels into my worry filled life, you are certainly not alone there. It feels liberating when I do it "hand, hand, foot, foot."

So glad you had 8 wonderful days. I feel the exact same way on vacation. When we were in Hawaii I actually felt panicky worrying that something might happen to my camera, or that my memory card would get damaged etc... It became my most prized possession. Protection of those wonderful images was all important. I totally get you:) Loved that sunset pic of you and your girls! Just beautiful!!!

Oh my goodness Paige...that is such a gorgeous photo of all you girls...{by the way...my personality would have reacted the exact same way about losing the photos}...and all your expectations and desires...well completely understand...so glad you had 8 great and wonderful days!!! You deserve itxo

Sooo fun...I'm glad you all had a great time. I'm als worry a bit about my pictures...I LOVE to have pictures from my adventures and I get soooo sad if I lose them, so I know how you feel...sorry you lost some pics :-( But thankful, you were still able to take some after it was all said and done. The pic of you and the girls is PRECIOUS! Caroline's dress is adorable...you all look lovely! Glad to have you back in blog land...you're definitely missed when you're gone. :-)Blessings

Oh dagnabbit...look at those tan Knudsen girls, it isn't fair.I'm so glad everything went well(except the collant light). Miss C didn't have any problems with the heat? It looked wonderful. Hey, I can't get my husband to wear pink, it was nice to see Dan wearing a pink tee shirt.

Oh Paige. I'm right there with you. That dang Type A worrier personality rears its ugly head at the darndest times.

But your girls are so lovely...such a sweet, sweet family. I don't blame you for wanting to document each and every second.

Looks like a lovely time. (And the funniest thing...I was just wondering last week if I could still do a one-handed cartwheel...I'm afraid to find out. Don't need any extra medical bills right now. lol!)

Paige, great shots of the family ~ you always seem to capture their spirits in these photos!! So glad you enjoyed your holiday!! Where is this place again? I just think the beach is simply beautiful and I take it you had great weather the entire week ~

Oh I would've freaked out too if my camera weren't working! Yikes! Glad that was remedied! It wouldn't be a vacation without all of your gorgeous pictures that's for sure!!! So glad you had a good time :)

I have been thinking about y'all all week. SO SO SO SO THRILLED that it was a great vacation. Thank the Lord.

I get it about the photos. My kids wonder why i take so many. Truth is...I don't have many of my own childhood. I had an idyllic childhood up until the point my parents suddenly divorced (I was about 13). And I don't have many photos of it AT ALL! I think one of my sisters has them (all the albums) in CA.

I want my kids to have the memories frozen in time so they and we (me) can see how things were.

I am so glad that it was just photos from the first day though and not the whole week.

Cannot wait for more photos. Caroline looks just like you ...even your posture is the same:)

Love, LOVE that you had a great time. Destin in like that for me and I do have expectations of it...and it doesn't fail. Um, the daughters that are closest to you in the one picture look JUST alike! Wow! I'm ready for more pictures now.

No, no, no...you are not alone!! I am the same way....and I know plenty of other Mom's cut from the same mold. I often ask myself why I let things that are out of my control stress me out like this...... beacuse I see things a certain way and when they don't unfold that way it is so disappointing. Unfortunately, we are always in persuit of perfection.....and life is just not perfect!! I am trying my best to roll with the punches, but it is not always easy.....

It looks like you had an amzing trip with your beautiful family. Like Kim said, luckily it was only one days worth of photos....and not your entire week!! You captured so many sweet memories and I am sure your girls will treasure them in the years to come!

Great pictures....Im kinda late with taking pictures..I have a sister thats always been the keeper of the family pictures...but my brother is selling me his old camera....and I hope I can some day take a great picture like yours....glad you have a wonderful time during your vacation....

Yay! I have been waiting to see some pics and will wait patiently to see some more! Everyone is soo purty!! :) I too lost my first day of photos when we went South for the wedding but didn't let it bother so much like I usually do...must be getting old! :/ ~hugs~

I'm sorry you lost the first day of your photos. that is a bummer. You're right, Caroline looks amazing in that dress! Love the new color scheme this year. I'm glad you were able to enjoy an oil free holiday. You should be paid as a spokesperson for Seaside! Seriously, they should use your family on a billboard or something.

Such beautiful photos -- can't wait to see the rest! Glad that the oil spill and all didn't get there AND that you were able to help out that hurting Florida economy! You have the sweetest family! I'm lucky to get 2 photos!

re: the memory making with camera - I do understand about the memories and the photos, that's why I do my memorabilia work. Most people cry when they pick up their shadow boxes that I have filled with their memories.It is such a profound thing to see your past right infron of you.

I love my beautiful people and their Mamma's gentle heart. So glad it was perfect beyond all the cameras and cars and computer challenges. All those things start with a "c: I just noticed...hummmm...rrrrr to c things. But you are real and have emotions and just like the velveteen rabbit you are more loved because you are real and human and worry or not I would not take you any other way. Just beautiful and real you.

Fabulous!! So glad you got to enjoy your blissful peaceful place before any possible oil hits it! I have read so many wonderful blog posts about that area... I want to go myself!! The beach is my perfect place too... =) I wish I was a cartwheel girl too... I have to REALLY work at it!!

I think it is totally reasonable to sit in the bathroom floor and sob. I sit in my closet! Sometimes we just need to get it out! You keep taking 1001 pics. You and your family will never regret it. I am known as the mommarazi in my family. I think I use to get on my in-laws nerves taking so many pictures and now they ask to see my slide show at the end of vacation. It is all worth it!So next year do a cart wheel. I probably would pull some major muscles if I tried!

i am so glad that you had a wonderful vacation, despite the lost photos. that would make me cry too. i just got back from southern florida. nothing like sun, sea, sand and sunsets to make life beautiful. xo!

Looks like you had wonderful time! I am so glad! What great photos of you and your family! So beautiful!!!!! Makes me really miss that area! No I did not go to the store in Rosemary, I didn't get to really visit that area much, i will definately make a mission out of it next time!!!Bummer about your pics but I totally understand, it is such a sentimental time and place.